The idea of taking something
from our Wyoming existence and
wrapping it into a comfort item is
also familiar to Courtney Whalen
Van de Weyer, a Wyoming native
and entrepreneur currently living
in the United Kingdom. Courtney’s
company, Winter & Bract, launched in
April, and carries beautiful cashmere
sweaters and bespoke blankets, all of
which are made in Scotland. When
I asked Courtney her correlations
between Wyoming and Scotland,
she explained, “I found that, of all of
the UK, it was the visits to Scotland
that made me feel most like I was at
home. It is truly wild in places, and
it’s one of the few places in the UK
you can actually really see the stars!”
Courtney has lived in the UK for
nearly two decades with her husband
and children.
I couldn’t describe cozy products that
blend Wyoming + Scotland better
than Courtney herself on her website,
winterandbract.com…
Born in Wyoming, Winter &
Bract captures the spirit of the
West with heritage cashmere
pieces commissioned from the
finest cashmere artisans of
Scotland.
Inspired by our magnificent
western landscape, vivid
alpine colors and effortless
mountain style, every detail
of our cashmere – from the
sumptuously spun fibers to
the hand-finished seams –
is expertly crafted only in
Scotland, renowned for over
150 years for producing the
finest cashmere on earth.
Cashmere is my fashion treat, but
I didn’t know much about how it
actually becomes so amazing -- or that
Scotland is an epicenter for superb
cashmere. I now have learned that
high quality cashmere fiber derives
from the tiny hairs hand-combed